Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in Sarasota / Bradenton

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Italian cuisine in Sarasota / Bradenton? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Fine Italian Cuisine

4.8

4.8 (69)

$31 to $50

Italian

Gulf Gate Estates

About the restaurant

At Bruschetta Fine Italian Cuisine , our history is rooted in family and tradition. Our recipes have been passed down for generations, and we take great pride in using authentic ingredients and techniques to create the flavors of Italy. From our humble beginnings in a small kitchen in Rome to our bustling restaurant today, we've always stayed true to our roots.

Top review

Kurt

Dined on Feb 18, 2025

Amazing authentic Italian cuisine and atmosphere....

La Dolce Vita Authentic Italian Cuisine

4.9

4.9 (385)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

For Valentine’s Day, we are offering a special prix-fixe menu at $95 per person. You can see the menu in the appropriate section.

We welcome our guests to an authentic Italian restaurant: here we offer traditional cuisine, with a modern take on northern and southern Italian recipes. Mauro, the chef, and his wife Tina, have an huge amount of experience behind them.
Mauro is from Naples, Tina was born in a little sicilian town near by Enna.
He began to learn everything about the southern cuisine by his experience in Naples since he was a child, from “Polipetti alla Luciana” to “Paccheri ai frutti di mare”. Furthermore he moved in Milan and he had the chance to learn the northern cuisine, from “Risotto ai funghi porcini” to “Polenta grigliata”, one of his favourite specialties!
From an ancient sicilian tradition, Tina learnt everything about the desserts by her grandmother and her mother, from “Millefoglie” to “Cannoli cake”.
We hope you enjoyed reading about us.

Top review

Mike

Dined on Mar 6, 2025

Food was good and service was excellent. We will come again.

Pietro's Italian Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (703)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Italian Restaurant& wine bar in Sarasota. Where you are a stranger only once.
His philosophy served him well with his previous Sarasota businesses. Café Gabbiano located on Siesta Key was originated by the Migliaccio family in 2003 where is four sons grew in and out of the restaurant business.
A second venture in downtown Sarasota was opened and designed by Pietro in 2012 named Casantica, a small old house converted to a quaint homey restaurant. Both restaurants are now under new ownership.
Now, this small intimate place is where I can have fun serving and meeting new friends. Benvenuti.

Top review

RobertVIP

Dined 4 days ago

An outstanding meal. The veal chop parmigiana was certainly the finest tasting and most tender veal I have had in over 50 years of Italian dining. Great atmosphere and extremely pleasant staff.

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Popular dish

Lasagna Marinara

Dolce Italia

4.9

4.9 (644)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Dolce Italia was established in 2010 by Tiziana Di Costanzo who came from Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples. Using a combination of classic Italian dishes, family recipes passed down for generations, and warm hospitality, Dolce Italia has built a reputation in Sarasota as a destination for anyone seeking great food and ambiance. In 2015 Matthew joined as manager of the front of house and is now a managing partner of Dolce Italia. The kitchen staff trained by Tiziana from the beginning are still with the restaurant with Maria being the capocuoco.
Some of the specialities Dolce Italia has become famous for are the Napoletan Eggplant- a tender sautee eggplant with fresh tomatoes crowned with ricotte, the Trenne Dolce Italia- the signature pasta dish with creamy tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and mushroom.

Top review

JeffreyRVIP

Dined 7 days ago

One of our favorite Italian restaurant in Sarasota. Beyond the amazing food, the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The staff are always friendly, attentive, and make us feel truly welcome. We will definitely be coming back

Cassariano Italian Eatery

4.8

4.8 (3899)

$31 to $50

Italian

Venice

About the restaurant

Contemporary Italian Cuisine in downtown Venice with a casual-elegant atmosphere. INSIDE AND OUTSIDE DINING

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Food was outstanding and Peter, our waiter was fantastic.

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Popular dish

Veal Chop alla Caprese

Popular dish

Pappardelle Bolognese

Popular dish

Sea Bass Piccata

La Norma Ristorante & Pizzeria

4.8

4.8 (800)

$31 to $50

Italian

Longboat Key

About the restaurant

Welcome to La Norma, a charming family-owned Italian restaurant that brings the heart of Italy to your table. Join us for homemade dishes, fine wine and live music on our patio. At La Norma we pride ourselves on using only the freshest ingredients to create authentic Italian cuisine. Our homemade dishes and handcrafted pizzas are made with care and our fine wine list is carefully curated to perfectly complement our genuine flavors. Whether you're in the mood for a romantic dinner or a festive gathering with friends and family, our warm and welcoming atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a memorable dining experience. Come discover why La Norma is the go-to choice for Italian Cuisine on the island.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

We had a lovely outdoor dinner. Service was very cordial, food was fantastic. The veal and pasta were delicious!

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Experience

A Taste of Tuscany: Exclusive Wine Tasting

Experience

Homemade Gnocchi Masterclass

Experience

Arancini & Prosecco Cooking Experience

Apulia Osteria Italiana

4.8

4.8 (382)

$31 to $50

Italian

Rotonda

About the restaurant

Apulia Osteria Italiana is located in Placida, Florida just a few miles away from the beautiful Island of Boca Grande and Manasota key just 20 minutes from Port Charlotte and Venice.
The warm hospitality and the professionalism you will receive at Apulia will make you feel welcome throuout your entire visit. Chef Dario Leo along with his staff will make sure you will be delighted with superb food and great service.
You will enjoy dishes from his native region " Apulia" also called "The hill of the boot", specialties such as Orecchiette with Rapini, Fritto misto di Paranza ( seafood) , Burrata, Baked Snapper, Beef Braciole, Pasticciotto Leccese and so many other dishes from all over Italy such as Ossobuco, Risotti, Gnocchi, Branzino, Ravioli, Tiramisu, Gelati and so much more......

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent. Great atmosphere and food. Love that they take reservations.

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Popular dish

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

La Violetta Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1127)

$30 and under

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Intimate and designed to provide a rustic Italian experience. Buonissimo!

Top review

KarenO

Dined 2 days ago

Both the food and service were excellent. The pace was nice and our server had good suggestions. Highly recommend the duck ravioli with orange butter sauce and the panna cotta di gorgonzola. Both had perfectly balanced combinations of flavors.

Sardinia Sarasota

4.8

4.8 (1536)

$30 and under

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Chef Carta brings the authentic simple elegance of the Sardinian dining tradition to your table. Sardinian cuisine is known for the purity of food and flavors. To insure the authenticity of the dining experience Chef has imported an authentic hood wood-burning oven for the kitchen. The menu is focused on farm fresh and locally grown food. Chargrilled meats and local fish will be cooked in the oven as it is in Sardinia. Taste the Sardinia bread, know as Pane carasau, baked fresh daily which welcomes you at your table. The pasta dough is also made fresh daily. Revel in the authentic Sardinian paella made with fregola and enjoy the unique flavor of bottarga. To maximize the pleasure of sharing good food with good friends, Sardinia has 45 seats- 24 in the main dining room, a chefs table for 10 and 13 seats in the bar area. Good food-good conversation-good friends. A true Sardinia experience you will not forget.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 5 days ago

Octopus and lasagna were excellent. The staff and owner were great!!

Mediterraneo Ristorante Italiano

4.7

4.7 (3674)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

With its modern but classic Italian cuisine and emphasis on artisanal and contemporary Northern Italian style, Mediterraneo is often credited with being the first restaurant to bring authentic contemporary Italian cuisine to Sarasota when it first opened in 1996. Still under the same ownership, Mediterraneo has consistently been rated one of the top restaurants in Zagat. The restaurant has received numerous accolades including the acclaimed Insegna Del Ristorante Italiano awarded by The Minister of Agriculture & Commerce in Rome. With its highest honor, inducting the restaurant into its Accademia Italiana della Cucina "Fine Dining Hall of Fame." Mediterraneo has been rated as Best of the Best in Sarasota Magazine since the first year of opening.

So whether you're celebrating a special occasion or grabbing a quick bite to eat, at Mediterraneo you are always assured the best quality food accompanied by excellent service. All of it thoroughly Italian.

Top review

JamesVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Always a great meal and atmosphere staff is welcoming and friendly

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